Grease cartridge management system

ABSTRACT

A grease cartridge management system having a multi-piece caddy and a chamber mounted thereon in a secured position for inserting grease cartridges therein to protect them from damage in the handling, storage and transportation of grease cartridges from a storage location to the point of use with a grease gun.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a grease cartridge management system, and more particularly, a grease cartridge management system for identifying, organizing and storing new and partially used grease tubes used to lubricant various equipment and similar devices in residential, commercial and industrial applications.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Grease cartridges come in standardized sizes for use with grease guns to lubricant a number of devices requiring lubrication. One of the problems whether it is home owner greasing ball joints on his vehicle or a maintenance man lubricating a machine tool on the factory floor, is that the used and partially used grease cartridges often end up on the garage or factory floors, respectively. Also, when the grease gun is used to lubricate various factory equipment requiring different greases to be used, a partially used grease cartridge is often removed from the grease gun at the point of use with no place to put it before replacing it with another to do the lubrication job at hand. What happens to that partial used grease cartridge when removed from the grease gun? Often the partially used grease cartridge ends up on the factory floor or workbench where it is subject to contaminants and damage. The typical maintenance work bench is often a place where the grease cartridge housing is exposed to other fluids and is able to soak up moisture on its surface causing it to swell and thereby ruining the ability to reuse the cartridge again in a grease gun or introducing contaminants to the grease within the cartridge. Also, the cartridges get crushed and abused when stored out in the open by other tools that are laid across the tubular cartridges or even cut through the housing material of the cartridge causing the grease to leak. Grease cartridge housings are often made out of a coated laminated paper housing that are subject to deformation and destruction by many handling abuses and causes. For example, loose grease cartridges are often thrown in the back beds of a pickup truck or open toolboxes and exposed to the elements of nature like rain, sleet or snow. The grease cartridges housings swell when rain soaks their skins or come apart from tools when tools are thrown on top of them. Therefore, it is important to be able to store new and partially used grease cartridges in a safe place whether in the back of a pickup truck or on a bench shelf in a factory or garage setting. Another reason for storing the various grease cartridges in a safe place is that these cartridges with specialized greases can costs hundreds of dollars per cartridge. So a system that helps to identify, store and maintain the integrity of the cartridges in relative safety yet has the mobility to carry one or more cartridges to be stored in the bed of a pickup truck without damage when going to and from the job site or transported to the point of use would be a valuable and ideal system.

Often times due to the environmental and other conditions impacting upon the housing of the grease cartridge exposed to the outdoor elements carried in a pickup truck bed, a tool box, a shed or a farm field next to the tractor or other equipment requiring constant lubrication, the identifying cartridge label with directions or instruction on it application are unreadable due to label damage. Thus with missing instructions and directions, the grease can be misapplied causing problems for the end user.

Any advanced lubricant management system must be very robust especially when going into rough environmental conditions where the grease cartridges having the typical vulnerable paper laminated housings. Also, to save money, it is important to be able to reuse partially used grease cartridges and to maintain the integrity of the labeling on the cartridge housing throughout the lifetime of the cartridge for future use.

Therefore, there is a definite need for a grease cartridge system for storage, transporting and handling to the point of use that protects the grease cartridge, its labels and instructions. There is also a requirement that lubricants are identifiable at all times form storage to point of use whether the lubricants are stored on an offsite or onsite location exposed to the elements. In short, a lubricant inventory management/process control begins with the ability to track and use the proper lubricants for the proper application in residential, commercial and industrial settings. Also, application, direction and warning information needs to accompany the lubricants from storage to the point of use in the residential, commercial or industrial applications without any errors in the identification of the lubricant or errors in the instructions related to its application.

In addition, it is often important to have two or more spare grease cartridges at hand so the greased gun can be rapidly changed out of the empty grease cartridges and replaced by a new one. Also, it is often important to have more than one type of grease to handle different lubrication applications or if a problem occurs with the current grease cartridge being used so that the lubrication of the equipment can be fully completed to prevent damage of continuous operation without the proper lubrication. In outdoor applications, the grease cartridge and its labels might receive damage due to moisture or to the other fluids being spilled directly onto the labels or outer shell of the laminated paper housing when dispensing grease. Some applications require more detailed instructions on how to apply the lubricants, and in that case, it may require the ability to handle multiple sets of instructions or warnings in separately organized literature that accompany the grease cartridge to market. But one thing that remains and that is the ability to management the deployment of grease cartridges from storage to the job site without misidentifying, damaging or losing the instructions.

Therefore, it is an essential aspect of any grease identification and management system to have a cartridge management system capable of handling multiple grease cartridges with different greases, labels and information associated therewith. The present invention solves above discussed problems and even other problems, and provides advantages and aspects for maintaining the integrity of the grease cartridge and its application at the point of use. A full discussion of the features and advantages of the present invention is deferred to the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, a grease cartridge management system comprises a hand caddy and a protective chamber for housing a grease cartridge releasably mounted on the caddy. The caddy comprises at least a three piece assembly of generally flat panels, one vertically disposed and the other two panels are interlocked horizontally on the vertical panel and spaced apart with respect to each other a predetermined distance to mount and hold the protective chamber thereon. The vertical panel is generally rectangular in shape with generally identical front and rear surfaces of a predetermined length, width and thickness terminating in a top, a bottom and two opposing vertical edges connected between the top and bottom edges. The vertical panel increases in thickness going from top to bottom.

An opening through the vertical panel disposed near the top and intermediate the vertical edges serves as a gripping place for the digits on a hand to carry the caddy. The first of the two horizontal panels includes a keyed slot opening having a length and width corresponding to the width and thickness at the bottom of the vertical panel. The second of the two horizontal panels includes a keyed slot opening having a length and width corresponding to the width and thickness at a predetermined point intermediate the top and bottom edges of the vertical panel.

The vertical panel further includes vertical locking tabs on the front and rear surfaces thereof. In assembling the caddy, the keyed slot of the first panel is inserted over the top edge of the vertical panel and the first panel is slid downwardly to the bottom of the vertical panel, the top surface of the first panel passes the vertical locking tabs on the front and rear surfaces of the vertical panel and locks the first panel in place at the bottom of the vertical panel. The combination of the first panel locked to the bottom of the vertical panel provides a base for the caddy so that the vertical panel remains oriented upright. Then the keyed slot of the second panel is inserted over the top edge of the vertical panel and the second panel is slid downwardly a predetermined distance on the vertical panel until the second panel top surface passes the locking tabs on the front and rear surfaces of the vertical panel and stops the downwardly movement on the vertical wall a predetermined distance from the top edge due to frictional engagement with the thickness of the vertical panel against the keyed slot and a keyed location on the vertical panel.

To disassemble, the locking tabs engaging the top surface of the second horizontal panel are pushed inwardly to the front and rear surfaces on the vertical panel while pulling the second horizontal panel upwardly releasing it from the keyed position on the vertical panel and then removed over the top edge of the vertical panel. The locking tabs engaging the top surface of the first horizontal panel at the bottom of the vertical wall are pushed inwardly on both front and rear surfaces of the vertical panel while pulling the first panel upwardly and pass the keyed location of the second horizontal panel on the vertical panel. Next, the locking tabs holding the second panel are pushed inwardly to the front and rear surfaces releasing the first panel to travel upwardly again an over the top edge to remove the first horizontal panel. This permits the caddy to be disassembled, packaged and shipped as a generally flat item when ordered from a customer of the caddy.

Thus the varying thickness of the vertical panel, which increases going from the top edge to the bottom edge for the purposes of frictionally engaging and keying the slot of each horizontal panel to a predetermined position on the vertical panel when assembled. In assembly, the vertical panel is upright and the slot with the greatest width, the first horizontal panel, is placed over the top edge of the vertical panel and slid downwardly to approximately the bottom of the vertical panel by passing over the first set of locking tabs and keying surfaces for the second horizontal panel and then passing over the second set of locking tabs where it mates with the second keying surface on the rear and front surfaces of the vertical panel to key and lock the first panel in its assembled place. The second horizontal panel with a small keyed slot width is assembled the same way as the first panel only it slides down the vertical panel and passes over only the first locking tabs to key and lock in place against the first keying surface on the front and rear surfaces of the vertical panel. The first and second panels are spaced apart a predetermined distance from and parallel to one another on the vertical wall when the three panels of the caddy are assembled.

The first horizontal panel includes spaced apart recesses on the top surface corresponding to the bottom dimensions of the bottom of the chamber. The second horizontal panel includes spaced apart openings extending through the top and bottom surfaces of the panel having a dimension sufficient to accommodate generally the dimensions of the chamber at its approximate midpoint between the top and bottom of the chamber. In using the grease cartridge management system of the present invention, a grease cartridge is inserted into the chamber. The chamber is closed before inserting the chamber through one of the openings extending through the second panel until the bottom of the chamber engages a spaced apart recess on the first panel disposed axially below the opening on the second panel when placing grease cartridges into the assembled caddy.

The chamber of the grease cartridge management system includes a generally tubular enclosure for storing and transporting a grease cartridge therein having two halves of approximately the same size to house the grease cartridges. Each half of the chamber is generally a hollow conical frustum shape closed at the smaller base end and open at the larger base end. Each larger base end includes mating threads for screwingly joining the two halves together to define a one-piece storage chamber for grease cartridges sealed in the openable middle against the elements when the two halves are screwed together to form the chamber. The volume of the chamber is a predetermined size sufficient to enclose a grease cartridge.

The small base end on the top half of the chamber has a raised circular ridge extending above the top a predetermined distance with two opposing pin eyelets on an outer surface of the ridge to receive a pair of pins on an arcuate or semicircular hanger where the pins are pivotally mounted within the eyelets to make the hanger rotatable in an arc above the small base end. A generally flat circular insert fitting within the inner perimeter of the generally circular ridge to cover a generally circular identification tag that can be inserted on the small base within the perimeter of the ridge. The lower half of the chamber having a key raised portion extending from the small base end a predetermined distance to mate with the keying recess of the first horizontal panel. When the keyed bottom of the chamber is inserted into the keying recess, a hooked tab forming a part of the key on the base or bottom of the chamber engages a corresponding opening in the recess to removably lock the chamber in the recess.

According to another aspect of the invention, a caddy includes six circular openings in the second panel having a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the chamber midpoint when assembled and the first panel includes six corresponding recesses axially disposed beneath each opening to receive the bottom of each inserted chamber into the caddy.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, each chamber with the hanger attached to the top of the chamber allows for the storage of a plural number of chambers on a grease cartridge wall bracket system side by side on a peg or other horizontally extending rod.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the following drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To understand the present invention, it will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective side view of a grease cartridge management system including a caddy and chamber mounted thereon according to the teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a left end elevation view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an exploded frontal perspective view of the three components of the caddy in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a right end elevation view taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 2:

FIG. 5A is a partial exploded cross section view of the connection between the bottom of the caddy and chamber of FIG. 5;

FIG. 5B is a partial exploded cross section view of the connection between the bottom of the caddy and chamber showing an alternative embodiment of FIG. 5;

FIG. 6 is an elevation view of the chamber of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the two mating halves of the chamber with components for housing a grease cartridge, a tag identifier and a hanger of the chamber as shown in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the chamber shown in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail preferred embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated.

The present invention is a grease cartridge management system. In FIG. 1, the systems comprises a caddy 10 and a chamber 12 for handling, storing and transporting a grease cartridge 14 in an enclosure protecting the grease cartridge 14 and its label instructions from storage to the point of use in a grease gun. The caddy 10 is a three-piece assembly of panels. A vertical panel 16 is comprised of several generally flat layers 16 a making up the vertical panel having of a predetermined height, width and tapered thickness increasing in thickness when going from a top edge 20 to a bottom base 22 as shown in FIG. 3, and having generally opposing side edges 24 connecting the top edge 20 to the bottom base 22. The vertical panel 16 includes an opening 18 through the panel 16 near the top edge 20, a carrying handle 25 encompasses the top edge 20 and extends into the opening 20 to accommodate the digits of a hand to carry the caddy 10 in a comfortable manner.

In FIG. 2, a front surface 26 of the caddy 10 a first pair of locking tabs 28 is spaced apart and disposed a predetermined distance down from the top edge 20 on a line parallel to the top edge 20. A second pair of locking tabs 30 are spaced apart a predetermined distance above the base 22 in a line parallel to the base 22. The panel 16 includes a rear surface 32 that is a mirror image of the front surface 26 with two pairs of locking tabs 34 and 36 opposite the two pairs of locking tabs 28 and 30 on the front surface 26 and along the same parallel lines from the top edge 20 and the bottom base 22, respectively.

In FIGS. 1-5, a first and second horizontal panels 38 and 40 have keyed openings 42 and 44, respectively. The keyed openings or slots 42 and 44 varying in width so that the first panel keyed slot 42 is wider than the second panel keyed slot 44 to permit the panel 38 to be inserted over the top edge 20 and handle 25 and slide downwardly to the bottom base 22 passing over the all eight locking tabs 28, 30, 34 and 36 to lock in placed with the base 22. The keyed slots 42 and 44 engage corresponding keys 46 and 48, on the front and rear surfaces 26 and 32 of the vertical panel 16. The first keyed opening 42 of the first horizontal panel includes a generally rectangular portion 50 disposed in the middle of two perpendicular opposing arm portions 52 extending outwardly on either side of the portion 50 to define the key opening 42 and to match the width and thickness of the panel 16 at its base 22 with respect to the combination of the opposing arms and rectangular portions of the opening 42. The rectangular portion 50 of the opening is dimensioned to pass over the handle 25 too. The second keyed opening 44 of the second horizontal panel includes same configuration as keyed opening 42 with a rectangular portion 54 and arm portions 56 except the overall opening 44 only matches with width and thickness of the vertical panel at a predetermined point between the top edge 20 and base 22.

A pair of keys 58 and 60 is located on the vertical panel 16 at the base 22 and at the predetermined point between the top edge 20 and the base 22, respectively. The base key 58 includes a bar 62 on the front surface 26 of the panel 16 having a length and height that matches the rectangular portion 50 of the opening 42 and a corresponding bar 64 on the rear surface again matching the rectangular portion 50 of the opening 42 to define a complete key for the key slot 42. The exact same configuration is applicable to key 60 at essentially the predetermined point on the panel 16. A bar 66 on the front surface 26 is duplicated on the rear surface 32 to define a bar 68 performing the same function with the keyed slot 44 as the bars 62 and 64 perform with the keyed slot 42. Therefore, when panel 38 is inserted over the handle 25 and top edge 20 and slid downwardly on the panel 16 the panel 38 passes over the locking tabs 28 and 34 at the midpoint and continues over the key bars 66 and 68 and a pair of support flanges 70 and 72 extending horizontally from the bottom edge of the bars 66 and 68 a predetermined distance to snap the key 58 into the key slot 42 at the base 22 as the panel 38 passes over the locking tabs 30 and 36 and rests on a pair of supports flanges 74 and 76 extending horizontally from the bars 62 and 64 a predetermined distance and rests on a pair of horizontal ledges 78 and 80 in the same plane as the support flanges 74 and 76 at the base 22. The locking tabs pressing against the top surface of the panel 38 captures the panel securely between the locking tabs and the combination of the support flanges 74 and 76 plus the ledges 78 and 80 on the front and rear surfaces of the panel 16. Likewise, the panel 40 is inserted over the handle 25 and top edge 20 and slid downwardly into place below locking tabs 28 and 34 on the front and rear surfaces of panel 16 to engage the top surface of the panel 40 with the bottom surface of the panel 40 engaging a pair of support flanges 70 and 72 and a pair of horizontal ledges 70 a and 72 a on the front and rear surfaces 26 and 32, respectively, of panel 16. In this manner, the second horizontal panel 40 is securely supported and locked in place between the locking tabs 28 and 34 and the support flanges/ledges 70 and 72, 70 a and 72 a.

The first panel 38 includes keyed recesses 82 on the top surface of the panel that include hexagonal or similar sides 84 with openings 86 in at least two of the sides 84 to receive a barb 88 mounted on a mating hexagonal or similar shaped bottom portion 90 of the chamber 12 to hook into openings 86 to secure the bottom of the chamber 12 to the first panel 38.

The grease cartridge system further includes a generally tubular chamber 12 for storing and transporting a grease cartridge therein having two halves 92 and 94 of approximately the same size to house the grease cartridges 14. The two halves 92 and 94 are generally hollow conical frustum shape closed at the smaller base 96 and open at the larger base 98 with mating threads 100 on the larger base ends for joining the two halves at their large bases 98 together to define a one piece storage chamber 12 sealed in the middle against the elements when the halves are screwed together to form the chamber 12. The volume of the chamber is sufficient to enclose at least one grease cartridge therein. The small base 96 on the top half 92 of the chamber 12 has a raised circular ridge 102 extending above the top base 96 a predetermined distance with two opposing pin eyelets 104 on an outer surface of the ridge to receive a pair of pins 106 on an arcuate or semicircular hanger 108 where the pins 106 are pivotally mounted within the eyelets 104 to make the hanger 108 rotatable in a 180° arc about the top. A generally flat circular insert 110 fitting within the inner perimeter of the ridge 102 to cover a generally circular identification tag 112. The lower half 94 of the chamber 12 having the keyed raised portion 90 extending from the small base 96 a predetermined distance with the pair of barbs 88 extending into the recessed keyed slots 86 in each recess 82 that the chamber 12 is inserted. Circular openings 91 in the second horizontal panel 40 are axially aligned with the recessed slots 82 in the first panel 38. The openings 90 include ribs 114 to grip the sides of the chamber 12 in a frictional fit when fully seated in the recesses 82 in the first panel 38.

The caddy is generally made from a durable, scuff resistance, opaque plastic material and the chamber is generally made from a clear plastic material allowing the viewing of the grease cartridge within the chamber to help in quick identification of the grease cartridge in the event the ID tag in the top of the chamber was not filled out and place therein to help identify the particular grease tube within. Generally, the chamber 12 is watertight when the two conical frustum halves are screwed together tightly so that no moisture gets to the housing of the cartridge causing it to swell. The drawings show a six pack for carrying the grease cartridges in a safe environment but the caddy could be extend or short with respect to the horizontal panels 38 and 40 with a greater number or lesser number of holes and recessed keyed slots axially aligned to carry more or less grease cartridges in the system.

As can easily be seen by the FIGS. and written description herein the caddy vertical member could be a trapezoid, a triangle, a circle and many more geometric shapes and make out of metal, fiberglass, various plastics, nylons and other similar rigid materials. It could even be made out of coated paper like cardboard or laminated paper with a protective sealing to prevent moisture from destroying the caddy in keeping with the present invention. Also, the horizontal panels might have other geometric shapes so long as they are fixed in place by a locking mechanism between the vertical and horizontal members of the caddy 10. The chamber 12 could also be made of many different high tech materials that are now 

1. A grease cartridge management system comprising: a caddy having three panels assembled together, one panel vertically disposed and the other two panels affixed in stationary positions on the vertical panel in generally a horizontal spaced apart and parallel relationship to one another, both horizontal panels having apertures therethrough axially aligned with one another; a chambers having two halves removable joined together in the middle to define the chamber, the chamber capable of being unjoined to insert a grease cartridge therein for protecting the cartridge during transporting, storing and handling against potential damage to functionality of the cartridge or a label instructions on the outer surface of the cartridge.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the caddy is made of plastic panels, the vertical panel having a generally rectangular shape having a front and rear elevated surface and of a predetermined height, width and thickness and having a top edge connected to a base by a pair of opposing side edges, the vertical panel having at least two key surfaces, one at the base and the other spaced above the one a predetermined distance, and the horizontal panels having a length greater than the width of the vertical panel and a width greater than the thickness of the vertical panel, the horizontal panels having a key slot extending longitudinally across each panel and disposed in generally the middle of the width of each panel, the key slot on one horizontal panel having a dimension equal to or greater than the vertical cross section of the vertical panel in order to insert the panel over the top edge and slide it downwardly to the base key, the key slot on the other panel having a dimension equal to the cross section of the vertical panel to a point equal to the other key location spaced a predetermined distance above the one at the base so that the key slot on the other panel when inserted over the top edge and slid downwardly only goes to the other key a predetermined distance above the base of the vertical panel.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the other two panels are affixed in place and spaced apart by locking tabs disposed on the vertical panel and a pair of keying members.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the chamber is two halves of a conical frustum shape joined at the larger bases having mating threading on the halves permitting them to be screwed together in a watertight relationship when the grease cartridge is insert therein.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the chamber is made of clear shock resistant plastic to view the grease cartridge therein and the chamber further comprises a hanger rotatably connected to the top of the chamber to hang the chamber on a wall bracket or another storage rack.
 6. A grease cartridge management system, comprising: a caddy having a vertical panel with a front and rear surface of a predetermined height, width and thickness generally increasing from top to bottom of the panel, locking tabs in a horizontal lines across the front and rear surfaces of the vertical panel, one horizontal line of locking tabs located approximately midway between the top and bottom and the other line of locking tabs located near the bottom of the vertical panel, and a pair of keys located below each horizontal line of locking tabs, two horizontal panels of a predetermined length, width and thickness having key slots of a different size, one horizontal panel having the larger key slot allow it to be place over the top of the vertical wall and slid downwardly to the last line of locking tabs and over them to insert the base key in the larger key slot and locking the one horizontal panel in place with the locking tab pressing against its top surface, the other panel having a key slot smaller than the one horizontal panel allowing it to be placed over the top of the vertical panel and slid downwardly to engage the key below the first line of locking tabs to hold it securely in place, recesses in the one panel axially aligned with apertures in the other panel, the recesses having at least two key slots in the sides of the recess to receive a key therein; a chamber having to hollow halves jointed together in a sealed removable affixed relationship to one another having a top and bottom closed end with two keys protruding therefrom and an openable middle joint defining the chamber for inserting a grease cartridge therein, a raised ridge defining a closed wall enclosure on the top closed end for inserting identification information concerning the inserted grease cartridge therein and an insert lid affixed against the closed walls of the ridge to protect the information inserted therein from the elements, and wherein the chamber is inserted through the apertures on the other panel and pushed downwardly into the recesses on one panel where the two protruding keys are forced into the key slots on the one panel locking the chamber to the caddy and supported by both horizontal panels to avoid the chambers from falling out of the caddy during handling.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the chamber comprises two hollow conical frustum halves having mating threads on the larger base for joining the two halves together to define the chamber for inserting a grease cartridge therein, and wherein the apertures are circular in dimension to engage the assembled halves at the greatest diameter which is at the larger base end or the middle of the chamber to frictionally hold the chambers in place on the caddy once inserted thereon.
 8. The system of clam 6, wherein the recesses on the one panel are hexagonal or octagonal and the bottom of the chamber is hexagonal or octagonal to key into the recess to avoid rotation of the chambers once inserted onto the caddy.
 9. A grease management method, comprising the steps of: assembling three panels; a vertical panel and a first and second horizontal panels; placing a first horizontal panel over the vertical panel having keyed slot in the recesses in the top surface of the first panel; sliding the first horizontal panel down to the base of the vertical panel; locking the first panel in place by a keying relationship between the vertical and horizontal panel and locking tabs located on the vertical panel pushing against the first panel; placing a second panel over the vertical panel and sliding it downwardly a predetermined distance above the first panel having apertures axially aligned with the first panel recesses; inserting a chamber having a dimension to fit through the first panel apertures and a bottom that fits into the recesses with a keying member engaging the keyed slots in the recesses to hold the chamber stationary in its fully inserted configuration within the caddy. 